Project Runway: Finale

It's Between Jillian Lewis, Rami Kashou and Christian Siriano.

Annapolis native Christian Siriano, 22, was crowned the youngest champion ever of Bravo TV's "Project Runway" during the finale of the hit fashion reality show -- a verdict that the designer, in his own signature verbiage, would surely call "fierce."

Washington Post Fashion Editor Robin Givhan was online Thursday, March 6, at 2 p.m. ET to weigh in on the fourth season finale of Project Runway.

Blog: Channel This: 'Project Runway': Victory and the Fierce Factor

The transcript follows.

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Robin Givhan: Hi everybody,

Thanks for joining me to re-hash and parse the judges final Project Runway decision.

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Richmond, Va.: Hi, Robin. Did you agree with the judges' assertion that Rami's color choices were misguided? I couldn't handle the teal suit or the pomegranate pants, and I'm not afraid of a vibrant palette.

I've also heard around the watercooler this morning that a number of people find Christian's clothes unwearable. I'm on board with Victoria Beckham, though - I'd certainly wear his separates. No one's saying you have to clod around Main Street in nine-inch heels and a floppy hat. I thought those accessories added a nice dash of runway humor and drama to Christian's show.

Robin Givhan: I pretty much thought that Rami often chose odd colors...that unflattering green prom dress comes to mind as does that fuchsia wresting outfit.

I for one thought Christian had a terrific final collection

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Washington, D.C.: Christian just has IT and deserved to win (with Jillian a close second). Rami's too safe and his color sense is questionable. Christian's got an innate creativity that's just bursting to come forth. I'm glad he had some time with McQueen and Westwood. What do you think about his future, once he's made to meld his art with commerce?

It's so disappointing to watch the greed factor/licensing, etc., dilute the once-pure vision of so many talents.

Robin Givhan: I think Christian could have a bright future in fashion, but it's tough for even the most talented designers with all the financial backing in the world. Also, I wouldn't call licensing greedy....I'd call it smart and necessary.

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Whapeton, S.D.: I think that any of the three last night would have been a worthy winner. Do you know what the winners from previous seasons are actually doing now? Did they go on to become "America's next great designer"? I think not, since I haven't really heard of them since they won.

I always enjoy your work.

Robin Givhan: Hi South Dakota,

Thanks for the nice compliment!

I think Project Runway could use a break out success a la Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood in order to keep saying that they're looking for America's next great designer. As far as I know, Chloe headed back to Texas to run her biz, Jeffrey is in LA prolly getting another tattoo....just kidding and Jay McCarroll was supposed to be selling a collection to Urban Outfitter, I think, but I'm not sure if that ever happened. In short, no one has been snapped up to be the next designer for say, Anne Klein. But I do believe they're all working.

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College town: Hi Robin,

Can you cheer me up? Not only am I a 22-year-old college senior without a job, but now this kid, two months younger than me, just won "Project Runway." What's a girl to do?

Robin Givhan: Oh don't be so sad. Sometimes those who bloom too early fade fast. Michael Kors struggled for years - and endured bankruptcy - before he became all rich and famous and fabulous.

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Men's Dept., Wal-Mart: I thought the judges got it right, but I clearly don't know fashion. What did YOU think?

Robin Givhan: Wal-Mart! Love you! I think the judges got it right. Christian combined runway excitement with technique, originality and buried down deep under all those ruffles, some actual clothes.

Rami's work was, I thought, matronly. And Jillian, good Lord, I think she's talented, but she needs to do a couple of shots of chamomille tea or something. I can't imagine her running her own design biz wihtout having a nervous breakdown.

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St. Paul : Hi Robin -- Thank you for taking my question. Do you have any insight as to how the judging works on PR? It seems that the judges went to great pains to project the idea that all three finalists were equally deserving, but guest judge Victoria Beckham was clearly gaga over Christian. In the case of what seemed to be a three way tie, did they ultimately give more weight to her input, thus giving him the win? (for the record, I thought Rami should have gotten it, but it's hard to deny that Christian is very talented).

Robin Givhan: I wish I had a witness to this, but yesterday afternoon, I said I expected Christian to win because A. he was talented, B. he had been consistently good throughout the season and C. Victoria Beckham was the guest judge and her name was written all over his sensibility.

I can't claim to have the inside dope on the judging, but clearly the guest judge's opinion counts significantly if only out of politeness for forcing them to sit through the taping of the runway show which takes FOR -EVER.

It also makes sense to count her opinion heavily considering the degree to which celebrity endorsements play a role in the success of designers and the amount of publicity they get.

I just couldn't see Posh wearing anything out of Rami's show. Maybe a few things from Jillian.

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San Francisco: In your opinion, what makes a great collection and how did Christian's show qualify as one? I myself preferred Jillian's collection the best but I think maybe it seemed the most accessible to the modern woman.

Robin Givhan: I think there's a difference between a great runway collection and merely a great collection. For the runway, you've got, as the wise Tim Gunn would say, wow the audience. The runway, particularly the big tent at Bryant Park is an enormous stage and the clothes have to fill it. The designer has to own that stage. Sweet P makes great clothes that plenty of people would like to wear, but they're not runway clothes, in the same way that Banana Republic clothes aren't runway clothes.

Christian understood the need to bring the drama. He had a strong point-of-view - some might say it was monotonous, but you knew exactly what his collection was all about. I agreed with Nina, when she said she didn't think Jillian quite knew who she was as a designer.

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Washington, D.C.: I guess I was more surprised that Christian won the "fan favorite" award, since I found him consistently grating. Can you or someone else in the chat perhaps illuminate me as to how he got so popular with fans?

Robin Givhan: Come on! Christian was pure snotty hilarity. Can you imagine what a snooze it would have been wihtout him and without Chris March and that laugh? It would have been Jillian and Victorya getting all vexed over a trenchcoat and Ricky crying.

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Laurel, Md.: From the beginning I loved Christian and Chris but thought Rami would take it home in the end. Then I started getting bored with all the draping, and started liking Christian's work more and more.

Who was your favorite from earlier in the season, and who do you think got the short end of the stick along the way?

Robin Givhan: I too thought Rami was an early favorite. But like Nina, I too got sick to death of his draping and also watching him spritz his face every morning with spring water. Oy!

I wished I'd seen more of ....now what was his name, Keith? The straight guy...who kept reminding us that he was straight. And I'd like to have seen more of Carmen E.Webber ( i think that's the right name) just because she had such splendid attitude.

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Washington, D.C.: Dear Ms. Givhan,

This season, as in seasons past, designers were criticized when they appeared to overrely on certain design techniques (e.g., Rami with his draping). However, I noticed that Christian quite often created some sort of jacket or top with a high collar and puffy shoulders. If I noticed it, it can't have escaped the judges' notice -- why did he not come in for the same criticism?

Thank you for answering our questions today.

Robin Givhan: I woudn't put Rami's incessant draping in the same category with Christian and his particular sensibility. Christian made a lot of great little jackets - i especially like what he did with the Levi's challenge. But each was distinctive and evoked a different mood. The Levi jacket was sleek and hipster. His Met art inspired look was over-the-top luxe. Rami was all about Grecian draping. He even draped that hideous wrestling costume!

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Alexandria, Va.: I am a male who watched parts of this season, only because my gf was interested in the show and had it on. I really can't say I understand what happened last night. While the winner's clothing clearly required great skill to create, none of it appeared (to my novice eye) to be useful to anyone who is not making an Oscar presentation. So, with that in mind, what was the point? I don't see how someone could make money selling such items. Perhaps you can explain in layman's terms.

Robin Givhan: Dearest Alexandria,

There is nothing "useful" about fashion, which is why it is fashion and not clothes. Just kidding. Sort of. My personal opinion about the runway is that it should be used to whisk the audience off to a fantasy world that is possible, but not probably. It should delight and inspire.

And I seem to recall a few cocktail dresses and some "fierce" jackets in that collection. Do not be distracted by the high drama hats and the killer heels. Focus, focus, focus!

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men's Dept., Wal-Mart (again): Love you right back...can't wait for you to review our Summer collection of $3.74 swimwear.

Robin Givhan: I never look down my nose at a bargain!

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The most important question of all: So when will Robin Givhan be a guest judge on Project Runway? C'mon! You'd be perfect!

Robin Givhan: I await Harvey Weinstein's call....

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Ricky, choO....CHOO: oy vey...that hat of Ricky's wanted to make me beat him to death with my Prada boots.

Robin Givhan: Can we all just take a moment to express our horror for Ricky's collection of hats? I don't know what was up with that. Maybe that's what was making him cry all the time.

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D.C.: for all of us non-fashionistas out there, what do you think really put Christian over the top? They all looked neat and creative to me.

Robin Givhan: YOu said it DC: well-made and creative. Enough said.

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McLean, Va.: Is there a consolation prize for Jillian? Seems like her collection could easily be sold in a high-end store.

Robin Givhan: I haven't heard of any consolation prizes. But her talent was displayed nicely. Somebody out there with deep pockets might come calling. You never know.

Maybe Roberto Cavalli will hire her. He was loving her work when he was a guest judge.

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Washington, D.C.: Can you illuminate the difference between costumey from Chris and fashion from Christian?

Robin Givhan: I've got two words for you: human hair.

No sane woman is going go out of her house wearing a hirsute dress. I don't care how good it looked. That was just nasty.

But in general, the difference is more suble. chris's work had a way of making look mannered and stiff - like that gown from his "walk-off" with Rami that the model couldn't walk in. He wasn't exaggerating a silhouette for effect - like an oversize collar for instance.

Christian's work is dramatic and over the top, but has a cool factor.

The difference though is really a bit like porn. You know it when you see it. Kind of like how you can always spot a bridesmaid dress even if you die it black and cut it off. It still screams: bridesmaid.

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Rami's draping: I thought it was interesting that at least one of the Paris designers you wrote about recently had a collection that relied upon draping, too. Is this some kind of trend that Rami picked up on and beat into the ground, or is it just coincidence?

Robin Givhan: hmm i'm thinking, i'm thinking. are you referring to maybe Junya Watanabe and his black jersey collection? I wouldn't say draping is a particular trend. It's a classic technique, which is why I believe Rami embraced it.

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D.C.: No way to Carmen Webber - Did you see her on the reunion show? She was so insecure and rolled her eyes at Heidi like a teenager. I think she still has 6th grade angst.

Robin Givhan: I didn't see the reuninion show. But part of the reason Carmen was so amusing - in a radcally annoying way - is all of her diva like behavior was so clearly linked to insecurity. That's good reality show fodder, man!

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Northern Virginia: Can we all agree that Tim Gunn is the nicest man ever born? He always says just the right thing. He is so classy. What an unlikely reality TV star, and I just love him.

Do you feel his comments were on track with the finalists?

Robin Givhan: I've got nothing but L-O-V-E for fashion's favorite consigliare. He is as charming and gracious in person as he is on PR. And his comments to the contestants are, I think, always right on target. I frankly don't think Sweet P would have gotten as far as she did without his wise counsel. He saved her from herself on several occasions...the Levi challenge comes to mind when he stopped her from sending out a Holly Hobby (sp?) frock.

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Ricky should have lost the prom challenge!: Then Kevin could have done the denim challenge. I hated Ricky's denim look, even though it won, and would have LOVED to have seen what Kevin would have done with this medium with which he is so familiar!

Robin Givhan: Thank you....his name was Kevin, not Keith. And yes, I think Kevin could have been a star during the denim challenge. As for Ricky winning it, frankly, I thought the judges were throwing him a bone. Christian's moto-cross ensemble and Rami's zipper trimmed dress were both much, much better.

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New York, N.Y.: I wondered what you thought about Rami already being an established designer with some real commercial success before the show -- Was that fair to the others and do you think that impacted the judges against him?

I thought Rami's beige evening gown was exquisite and while I think Christian is enormously talented, his collection was mainly big tops and skinny pants, or repeats of his winning designs during the show.

Robin Givhan: This season had some of the most accompished designers so far. That wacky Elissa had had a biz in New York, for instance. But last year's winner, Jeffrey also had a major biz in LA, including celebrity clients.

I'm told by my friend at the LA Times, that Rami has occasionally shown his collection during LA Fashion Week. And that yes, it was focused on draping.

I didn't think it was an unfair advantage. All the contestants know what they're getting into. And it didn't help him, ultimately. He was smacked down by the 22 year old upstart.

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I finally like the winner!: Please explain to me the allure of Jillian. I thought she made some ok things all season, but her style being described as wearable and having average appeal just didn't fit to me. For example, in the Art of Fashion Challenge, I could see translating Christian's look to my life (take the pants, the shirt and pair with either a caridigan or sleeker black jacket) and walking down the street in that. Would anyone outside of 1985 really be cought dead in Jillian's version of a gold lame dress, even if you made the cut more average woman friendly? While the jacket had lovely details, I think it's a little too severe to be for the "average woman" and if you took out those details to dumb it down it just becomes a black jacket. Plus, wasn't military inspiration a few seasons ago?

I really wanted to like her and see the appeal, but in the end I just thought she was whiny and boring with good construction skills.

Robin Givhan: She was whiny and boring with good construction skills and the ability to come up with looks that had glamour and toughness but were easily wearable. Not so much the gold lame dress, but I though the gold lined coat was great. And I didn't think it was so military inspired that it looked outdated.

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Anonymous: As a man that can only stomach a few of these so-called reality shows, I can actually watch this one and Top Chef with my wife. so kudos. The diffences in this one is they are actually doing something tangible.

Robin Givhan: Yea, I have to agree. They all show great skill in being able to whip this stuff up in no time flat.

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PR fan: Robin, were you at the actual runway show or did you watch it at home like the rest of us?

Also, I didn't think much of Jillian's collection. I said out loud "it's so disjointed," which was then echoed by the hilarious Mr. Kors. She's just not ready -- as Nina said, she hasn't identified her "thing" yet. And I was REVOLTED by that gold dress with Fredericks-of-Hollywood-looking sleeve. That was one of the ugliest things I've ever seen on the show, including some of the "Raw" challenge outfits! Seriously, what was that thing and how did it belong in that collection?!?

Robin Givhan: I watched from the comfort of my sofa. The taping was done on the same day as the Ralph Lauren show last month and the two overlapped. I opted for Mr. Lauren.

I would also point out that several people who did go to the show raved about Christian's last look, but also like Jillian's collection. Often, things look very different from the way in which they photograph. That was something one of the judges pointed out to Christian. I might have been Michael Kors. All that black has a tendency to go flat. I don't think that happened to Christian, but I do wonder if some of Jillian's work didn't translate well on TV.

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But if Rami had won...: Wouldn't there have been controversy as he was able to have his look critiqued by the judges before the final? You didn't see that heavy turquoise jacket on the runway, even though it was considered one of his "strongest looks" for the showdown with Chris. Once he knew how little the judges (esp. Nina) liked it, it was gone...

Robin Givhan: Some people might have gone down that road.....but all of the contestants got some feedback on their entire collection before the show from Tim Gunn, which I think is more valuable than having Nina mention that she didn't love one coat.

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Cerulean: Am I the only one who thinks "cerulean" when discussing military jackets, or have I been watching "The Devil Wears Prada?" one too many times?

Robin Givhan: Ha! That's brilliant.

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L Street: Did you start disliking Jillian a lot more after we met her family?? Her parents totally freaked me out -- she was meant to be this perfect child, she was meant to achieve great things, etc. Um, she's an adult.

Plus, she's already a designer for Ralph Lauren! Not such a bad gig if you ask me.

Robin Givhan: Have you ever worked for Ralph Lauren? Ha! Just kidding.... Yes, Jillian has a pretty good gig, although it remained unclear precisely what she did at RL.

And yes, mommy was a bit creepy.

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D.C.: Just want to say that at the beginning I thought Victorya was going to go all the way, but how glad I was that she ultimately got the axe. (I wondered early on whether they would permit two Asian female winners...)

Robin Givhan: PERMIT two Asian female winners? do you also believe Oswald didn't act alone? I thought Victorya was an early favorite, but she was clearly having some serious time management issues. No worries, though. She had her own show during fashion week. (Christian was there in her corner.) It was ok.

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Penn Quarter: Has Heidi Klum been rewarded (by the fashion industry) for bringing "Project Runway" to the masses? It seems as though the cable program has attracted a large audience, and that audience has not only been entertained but - to a certain degree - the viewers have been educated about some of the creative challenges designers must endure to be successful. What do you think?

Robin Givhan: The show has received several Emmy nods. But no, she has never been a CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America ) honoree. But who knows...the nominees will be announed Monday, so maybe....I do think she deserves something beyond all that money she's raking in.

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Washington, D.C. 20012: Do you think that Christian is too innovative or too much of a showman for the American market? Or more suited for the Parisian climate?

Robin Givhan: I think Christian takes his design cues more from Paris than the American market.. But it's not like he's Yohji Yamamoto or anything. His pants still have two legs...

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Washington, D.C.: Chloe Dao is on QVC now, I saw her the other night and the stuff looked straight out of Wal-mart -- leggings (aren't those so played out now?) and wrap cotton shirts. Too bad, she had some good stuff on the show but I guess a girl's gotta earn a living. As for Rami, I do think he made some beautiful evening gowns, that cream dress last night was stunning.

Robin Givhan: Chloe on QVC. God bless.

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Alexandria, Va.: I am also glad that Christian won. I thought his designs were consistently good, plus I think the judges loved his showmanship. I wonder if any of the past winners or some of the fabulously talented losers would end of working for one of the great designers such as Michael Kors?

Robin Givhan: Ok, i'm now dealing in strict rumor but i heard something about Daniel being offered a job by MK, which he turned down...

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Crystal City: Come on, Christian might be creative but a woman can't wear creative. With the exception of his final gown I would like to know how any of his other pieces could be replicated for a woman to actually put on her back. Rami's clothes were creative and very wearable. Terrible but predictable deicision from the judges.

Robin Givhan: A woman can't wear creative? I beg to differ! Deflate some of those ruffles, take off the giant beige face-eating neck ring....there are some cool clothes in there.

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Seattle: OK, I guess I just don't GET fashion. Christian didn't design clothes; he designed costumes; what was the deal with Jillian and her helmets? And Posh was frightening to look at -- all harsh angles and pinchy starved face.

What am I missing, Robin? (ps -- maybe as a straight guy, I'll never get it)

Robin Givhan: I liked Jillian's helmets. Thought they gave her collection a cool Proenza Schouler vibe. Posh could use a bagel or two.

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Downtown D.C.: Robin,

How would you compare Siriano's runway show with other relatively new designers that have shown their collections at Bryant Park?

Also, what advice would you share with Siriano as he launches his career (independently or with another company) in the fashion industry?

Thanks!

Robin Givhan: I think Siriano's collection would stand up well next to other designers who are at the same place in their career. He has a point of view, and that's often what goes missing in a lot of collections from new designers. He also has a tendency to throw everything on the runway and go over the top. Again, something that a lot of young designers do - they don't edit.

That said, I've got no particular words of wisdom for him other than to focus on the quality of the clothes. Keep the collection small and make sure the clothes are well-made and delivered on time. Sounds mundane, but the great failing of so many young designres is that once a store buys the collection they can't get the clothes to the store on time.

Oh yea, one other bit of advice: don't get too infatuated with the limelight.

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Robin Givhan: Thanks for the questions! It was great fun. You are all fierce.

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